Buying a car in Tier 3

[Justin Case]

Now that I have more or less recovered from an operation and am starting to drive again, thoughts naturally go to getting another car I live in what will be a Tier 3 area and from what I can make of the somewhat vague new regulations, showrooms will be open but with masks, social distancing etc in place. So far so good but will I be able to actually sit in a car or take a test drive or will it be just a case of go in, pay and drive away?

[DoubleD]

Call the place where you have seen the car that you like, they will be able to answer your questions.

[ChrisH72]

Test drives will vary depending on the dealership just as they have for most of this year.

When I was looking back in June the most common options seemed to be driving around the site (basically car park) or driving the car alone on a prescribed route following the salesperson in their car. The local Ford dealer let me take the car on my own for half an hour and that was actually the car that I ended up buying.

Sitting in cars will be fine, they’ll probably just have plastic covers on surfaces you touch.

[jwilco]

I'm sure it will vary by dealer, but I had a test drive during these crazy times. They asked me to leave them with the keys to the car I turned up in, and they let me go solo.

[tony wright]

Collected my sons car from a dealership today and we are still on lockdown. We managed to take it for a test ride on Friday (booked on Thu) without the salesman and he told us the whole car had been sanitised, as well as machine inside (can’t remember what he said it was) to assist. Paperwork on Fri done in the service area, but today it was outside as there were too... many people inside. We also visited a couple of other showrooms and they were also open and employing a one way system as well as sanitasiers, just remember to take a mask😷

[Jamescrs]

I bought a BMW while in Tier 3 from a main dealer and the salesman came with me for a test drive, he wore a mask but said it was optional for me so I didn't bother.

Other than that I commute past a number of car dealers all main dealers various brands and they all have stickers in the window which state they are open by appointment only for sales. I guess you could go and walk around their forecourt but don't expect to get through the door without an appointment currently